England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Grindon All Saints

The Parish

The parish of Grindon lies in northeastern Staffordshire not too far from its border with neighbouring Derbyshire. Grindon is located about 8 miles east of the town of Leek and sits within Staffordshire's portion of the Peak District about 3 miles east of the B5053 road, this road is a link road joining the A523 (Leek to Ashbourne) road through to the A515 (Ashbourne to Buxton) road. Grindon is a compact, upland, village largely built around a triangle of lanes high above the deeply incised valley of the River Manifold. Most properties sit along the southernmost branch of that lane-triangle with the remainder of the parish dotted with farmsteads. The area sits upon thick bands of limestone, its quarrying was an important local trade, which has many subterranean passages for water-flow, show caves for visitors occur throughout the district. The limestone favours pastoral farming but there is also some arable in a mixture of farm types. Today Grindon earns much from its position attracting hikers and fishermen to the attractions of the Peak District National Park where Grindon is one of many accommodation providers. The Manifold drains the parish southwards, quickly augmented by input from the River Hamps, after meeting with the Dove the latter flows out of the hills to eventually join the Trent to the east of Burton upon Trent, the Trent then has a rather long journey to the sea arriving through the Humber Estuary. As an upland parish Grindon sits at the impressive height of 320 metres above the sea with land rising still further westwards to peak at 377 metres on nearby Grindon Moor. Like most upland parishes Grindon parish covered a broader area of low quality farmland, covering around 3,300 acres it would have supported a population of close to 400 parishioners. Grindon is mentioned in Domesday Book as a holding of one Roger of Stafford, it is, however, described merely as "waste", a term used in that book to describe un-developed land and referring to its upland nature.

The Church

All Saints' church sits at the northern apex of Grindon's triangle of lanes where Church Avenue performs a sharp right-angled bend. Sadly this is not some medieval masterpiece, that church fell into a state of disrepair in early Victorian times and was replaced by today's building built in 1845, it is thus not even the venue for these marriages. The church conventionally built in a style derived from the late 13th (Early English Gothic) through to early 14th (Decorated) centuries has the nave and chancel augmented by aisles and the tall western tower topped with soaring broach-spire. Whilst the church is undoubtedly competent and the site picturesque it clearly did not impress Pevsner who describes it as "competent, correct and uninspired".  The corner of the bend allows a rough parking area outside the churchyard gates which are set under a screen of mature trees. The church, itself, is set well back from the metal gates across an open and uncluttered churchyard that gives uninterrupted views from the south for the photographer.